Half of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is backed by the two major corporations in the country — the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) Group.
The remaining six teams are the so-called independents, with two of them also having “ties” with SMC.
With this setup, 26 of the last 27 PBA championships have been claimed by either the SMC or MVP camps. The last independent team to win a title was Rain or Shine in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The issue of sister teams has long been a point of contention among fans, who argue that allowing big corporations to have a maximum of three teams has stunted the growth of the league.
However, PBA vice chairman Alfrancis Chua disagrees, asserting that the SMC and MVP Group are the lifeblood of the league.
“Sister teams, sabi alisin niyo na ‘yan? Baka apat o lima na lang na teams ang matira sa PBA,” said Chua.
Currently, other major corporations in the Philippines, such as SM, ICTSI, the Ayala Corporation, JG Summit, Jollibee, Emperador, and Aboitiz, have refrained from backing pro teams. Instead, they opt to fund schools in the UAAP.
“My boss Ramon S. Ang is helping the league kaya tatlo. Sino ba ang ayaw na gustong alisin ‘yan kasi mas makakatipid siya ‘di ba? Siguro ganun din kay Boss MVP, mas makakatipid sila. Pero dose tayo, mas masaya kaya gusto natin magdagdag pa. Gawin niyong bente-singko ito, baka mag-isa na lang kami kasi marami na,” emphasized Chua, who also serves as the sports director of SMC.
“Hindi ganun kadali to convince somebody to join the PBA. Hindi ganun kadali sa amin.”
While there is a push to reduce the number of sister teams to just two, similar to the setup in the Premier Volleyball League, implementing such changes in the PBA would be challenging.
For now, Chua hopes that instead of criticizing SMC and the MVP Group, fans should appreciate the investment these two groups are making to keep the league alive.
“Akala lang nila, San Miguel and MVP Group natutuwa sa sister teams. Marami sa atin, isang team nga lang, nag-i-struggle na, tatlong team pa hahawakan mo,” he said.
